Topic: Metabolism and Cancer

Over the last three decades, the global prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity - that often cluster with arterial hypertension and dyslipidemia which, collectively, are often alluded to as the "metabolic syndrome" (MetS) - have increased two- and sixfold, respectively. Globally, this upward spiraling epidemic is projected to exact a major toll in terms of lives lost and financial burden for years to come.

Tissue damage associated with the above metabolic disease drivers was initially thought to result solely from the degenerative changes in the vasculature and the abnormal fatty changes occurring in the liver (often alluded to as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, i.e., NAFLD or MAFLD, i.e., metabolic-associated fatty liver disease they cause) and other viscera, eventually resulting in progressively irreversible organ loss of function in a proportion of cases.

However, more recently, MetS and its individual features together with their closely and bi-directionally associated fatty liver syndromes (NAFLD/MAFLD), have also been shown to associate with incidence and aggressivity of multiple cancer types.

This novel epidemiological and pathogenic paradigm highlights the crucial role that altered cell metabolic homeostasis may have in cancer development and progression. This intriguing area of research places itself them at the crossroad of multiple medical specialties spanning from epidemiology and molecular biology to internal medicine, oncology, metabolism, endocrinology, and imaging techniques. With this backset, Metabolism and Target Organ Damage has now established to launch a Special Issue focusing on the role of obesity, T2D and additional features of the MetS in cancer. Our interest is principally devoted, but not limited, to colo-rectum, liver, uterus and ovary.

Collectively, these specific cancer types had an incidence of 26% and a mortality of 24% on a world-wide basis in 2020. These impressive epidemiological data fully support the focus on this issue being placed on delving deeper into the complex and multifactorial nature of  these malignancies, specifically shedding light in the role that metabolic disturbances play in it.

As the Guest Editors of this Special Issue, we are confident that the papers we present, contributed by experts from all over the world, will provide invaluable insights and point out future lines of investigation into this multidisciplinary topic.

Participants

1. Rouba Ali-Fehmi, Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine and Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA.
2. Enrica Baldelli, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
3. Giampiero Francica, Chief Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound Unit, Pineta Grande Hospital, Castel Volturno, Italy.
4. Mohamed Ali Garada, Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine and Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA.
5. Deepti Jain, Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine and Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA.
6. Mira Kheil, Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine and Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA.
7. Lauren Larson, Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine and Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA.
8. Amedeo Lonardo, Department of Internal Medicine, Ospedale Civile di Baggiovara, Modena, Italy.
9. Fulvio Lonardo, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
10. Simonetta Lugari, Division of Internal Medicine and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Modena, Modena, Italy.
11. Maurizio Pompili, Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Hepatology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
12. Luca Roncucci, Department of Diagnostic and Clinical Medicine, and Public Health, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
13. Noor Suleiman, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
14. Lara Zraik, Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine and Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA.

31 Aug 2024